Method of knitting stockings with strain absorbing fabrics



Nov. 10, 1942. L a HE B 2,301,541

METHOD OF KNITTlNG A STOCKING WITH A STRAIN ABSORBING FABRIC Filed Jan. 9, 1940 inventor Lefqylifierb Q ZZMVPJM v4 ttoz ngy Patented Nov. 10, 1942 METHOD OF KNITTING STOCKINGS WITH STRAIN ABSORBING FABRICS Leroy B. Herb, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to Vanity Fair Silk Mills, Reading, Pa.

Application January 9, 1940, Serial No. 313,026

8 Claims.

This invention relates to hosiery of that type having a strain absorbing zone adjacent the top, and has for its primary object the provision of means for preventing objectionable curling in the integrally knit longitudinally stretchable band of fine gauge covered rubber yarn which constitutes the strain absorber. This application is a continuation in part of applicant's oo-pending application, Serial Number 117,399,- filed December 23, 1936.

Such curling as the device of the present invention seeks to resist is the result of the inevitable tensioning of the rubber yarn in the operation of knitting. Such tensioning cannot be avoided for, in order that the covered rubber yarn may be effective as a strain absorber, it must be more freely stretchable than the basic fabric of the stocking, requiring that the yarn be of such fine gauge that it is tensioned by the mere act of the needles drawing the loops.

The curling which is referred to in the present specification is in a transverse direction of the strain absorbing band, and causes the band to assume the form of a circumferential channel about the stocking when unworn, giving it an unsightly appearance. Such curling is not objecti'onably perceptible in a narrow band con sisting of only several courses of covered elastic rubber yarn, but a strain absorbing zone, to be adequately extensive, must contain a large number of covered elastic courses, for example, thirty or more, making a band of sufilcient width to curl and render the stocking objectionable.

The present invention has for one of its objects to so knit the fine gauge covered rubber yarn in the strain absorbing zone as to form a plurality of transverse ribs or wales, reinforcing or stiffening the fabric in the direction of curling and, therefore, resisting the tendency to curl.

Another object of the invention is to knit, from fine gauge elastic yarn under knitted tension, an elastic band of a predetermined width which will not curl.

The invention also has for one of its objects the uncurling of an elastic band by untensioning predetermined loops over the area of the band, by forming drop stitches in the band.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing, throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a side view of a stocking with a strain absorber constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary portion ofa top of a stocking illustrating a modification of the invention;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the loop construction of the strain absorber.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, it will be understood that the strain absorbing band or zone I is above the knee and preferably below the welt, and that it is most effective when it is employed in connection with a hose supporter which exerts a longitudinal pull upon the top of the stocking. The object of the strain absorber is to stretch more than the stocking will stretch in the region of the knee when the leg is flexed. Since the stockings in connection with which it is contemplated to employ the strain absorbing zone are customarily made of quite sheer knitted fabric and possessed of a high degree of elasticity due to the open character of the stitch, it is obvious that in order for the strain absorbing band or zone to stretch more than the basic fabric of the stocking, it must be made of an extremely fine gauge covered rubber yarn and a large number of courses of said yarn must be provided. Such a band will normally curl transversely, which curling detracts from the appearance of the stocking as an article of merchandise.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be noted that the strain absorbing fabric l, which is attached to and arranged below the welt 2 of the stocking, consists of a pair of relatively wide elastic bands 3 and 4, and an intermediate narrow inelastic band 5. Thus the wide elastic bands have an alternating arrangement with the narrow inelastic band.

Bands 3 and 4 are knitted from fine gauge covered rubber yarn of necessary fineness to be knitted on a hosiery knitting machine, and preferably of the construction disclosed in the Adamson Patent No. 1,822,847. In knitting this fine gauge elastic yarn on a hosiery knitting machine, it is knitted in under tension due to the tension created therein by the operations of the needles in forming the yarn into loops. This tension of the yarn incident to the knitting thereof causes the bands to curl in a transverse direction.

The narrow band 5 is knitted of inelastic yarn, and the arrangement of the narrow band of inelastic yarn has a tendency to reduce the degree of curling of the elastic band, but for the purpose of reducing the curling of the bands to such a 55 degree as not to be noticeable in the sale of the stocking, I have found it advantageous to untension predetermined loops over the areas of the elastic bands. The improved method of untensioning the elastic yarn of the tension incident to the knitting thereof is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing.

Referring to Figure 3, the numeral 6 designates a portion of the welt fabric, or basic fabric, of the hosiery knitted entirely of inelastic yarn i. The last course 8 of this fabric is provided with a series of transferred loops 9 which form a run barrier, for the purpose to be hereinafter described. Each elastic band is knitted entirely of elastic yarn It, as shown in Figure 3, and

When the last course II of predetermined loops are the bandis reached, dropped from their needles to provide run-backs and the formation of drop stitches l2, Which-are stopped at the transfer loops 9 in the manner will known in theart,

Due to the fact thata Wale of loops is removed or dropped at each row of drop stitches, it will be readily appreciated that the associated wales of loops on each side of the dropped wales of loops are relieved of tension, due to the fact that the same may expand into a reduced number of larger loops or drop stitches i2, as clearly shown in Figure 3. This untensioning of the loops enables the undisturbed loops in the remaining wales to untension, producing the dual effect of untensioning the band in its entirety and, further, allowing the fabric portions formed by the undisturbed wales of loops to curl in a coursewise direction, to oppose the tendency of the band to curl in a transverse direction.

Referring to Figure 2, there is illustrated a group of three relatively wide elastic bands ll, l8, and I9, alternated with a group of two relatively narrow inelastic bands 26, the inelastic bands cooperating with the untensioned loops to collectively eliminate the curling of the elastic bands.

Due to the alternating arrangement of the sets of elastic and sets of inelastic bands, the,

strain absorbing fabric is fabricated of an alteri-.

nating arrangement of groups of courses of inelastic yarns and groups ofcourses of elastic yarns, all courses cooperating to partially reduce the tendency of the elastic bands to our],

the untensioning of predetermined loops over one of said sets of bands cooperating to further reduce the degree of curling of the elastic bands to such an extent that the same is not objectionable in the sale of the stocking.

Having described my invention, What I claim 1. A method of knitting in hosiery an elastic strain absorbing band comprising: knitting the band of courses of fine gauge elastic rubber yarn and of such width as to have an inherent tend- 4 ency'to objectionable curling transversely of said band; and dropping walewise rows of loops in spaced Wales of the courses to form transverse ribs, resisting said tendency of the band to curl.

2. A method of knitting in strain absorbing zone comprising: knitting a plurality of courses of fine gauge elastic rubber yarn to provide a band of such width as to have an inherent tendency to objectionable curling in a transverse direction; knitting a plurality of courses of inelastic yarn; thenknitting a plurality of courses of fine gauge elastic rubber yarn to form a second band of such a Width as to have an inherent tendency to objectionable curling transversely thereof; and, during the knitting hosiery an elastic of the elastic courses of the bands, dropping walewise rows of loops in spaced wales of the courses to form transverse ribs in the bands for resisting the tendency of the bands to curl.

3. A method of knitting an elastic strain absorbing zone adjacent the top of a hose comprising: knitting the zone of courses of fine gauge elastic rubber yarn and of such width as to have an inherent tendency to objectionable curling transversely of said zone; and then dropping walewise rows of loops in spaced wales to provide a plurality of spaced rows of stitches contracted, by the inherent elasticity of the yarn, into ribs extending transversely of the zone for resistingthe tendency of the zone to curl.

4. The method of knitting a stocking comprising: knitting a plurality of courses of inelastic yarn' 'to providea' top; then knitting a course of loops and transferring spaced loops thereof; then knitting the required number of courses of fine elastic yarn under knitting tension to provide a band of such Width as to havean inherent tendency to objectionable curling transversely of the band; then dropping spac'edloops in the last course of said band to provide dropped stitches stopped by said transferred loops; then knitting a number of courses of inelastic yarn; then knitting the required number of courses of fine gauge elastic yarn under knitting tension to provide a second band of such width as to have an inherent. tendency to objectionable curling transv-ersely of the band; then dropping spaced loops in the last course of said second band to provide rows ofdropped stitches stopped by said transferred loops, and then knitting the leg of the stocking.

5. A method of knitting an: elastic strain absorbing band in a fabric, comprising: knitting the band of courses of fine gauge elastic rubber yarn of such width as to have an inherent tendency to objectionable curling transversely of said band; and dropping walewise rows of loops in spaced wales of the courses to form transverse ribs, resisting said tendency of the band to curl.

6. A method of knitting an elastic fabric, comprising: knitting a plurality of courses of fine gauge elastic rubber yarn to provide a band of such width as to have an inherent tendency to objectionable curling in a transverse direction; knitting a plurality of courses of inelastic yarn; then knitting a plurality of courses of fine gauge elastic rubber yarn to form a second hand of such a width as to have an inherent tendency to objectionable curling transversely thereof; and, during the knitting of the elastic courses of the bands, dropping walewise rows of loops in spaced wales of the courses to form transverse ribs in the bands for resisting the tendency of the bands to curl.

7. A method of knitting an elastic strain absorbing zone in a fabric comprising: knitting the Zone of courses of fine gauge elastic rubber yarn and of such width as to have an inherent tendency to objectionable curling transversely of said zone; and then dropping walewise rows of loops in spaced wales to provide a plurality of spaced rows of stitches contracted, by the inherent elasticity of the yarn, into ribs extending transversely of the zone for resisting the tendency of the zone to curl. V

8. A method of knitting an elastic fabric, comprising: knitting a plurality of courses of inelastic yarn; then knitting. a course of loops and transferring spaced loops thereof; then knitting the required number of courses of fine elastic yarn under knitting tension to provide a band of such width as to have an inherent tendency to objectionable curling transversely of the band; then dropping spaced loops in the last course of said band to provide dropped stitches stopped by said transferred loops; then knitting a number of courses of inelastic yarn; then knitting the required number of courses of fine gauge elastic yarn under knitting tension to provide a second band of such width as to have an inherent tendency to objectionable curling transversely of the band; and then dropping spaced loops in the last course of said second band to provide rows of dropped stitches stopped by said transferred loops.

LEROY B. HERB. 

